Truth Be Told with Zara McDermott

Support Resources:

National Stalking Helpline: 0808 802 0300

Suzy Lamplugh Trust: suzylamplugh.org

At 23, Hannah's life was derailed by an influx of stalking and cyber-harassment at the hands of a friend she had met through work. Over the following six years, Hannah was subjected to persistent anonymous messages, attempts at identity theft, threats and intimidation, physical post and phone-hacking. Now, she speaks on her experiences to help other stalking victims feel less alone, and raise awareness around this often overlooked crime.

Support Resources:

Samaritans -- 116 123 -- samaritans.org.uk

Drinkline -- 0300 123 1110

Adfam -- adfam.org.uk

In November 2013, after contracting what he thought was a common cold, Alex Lewis woke up unable to move. In the ICU, he was diagnosed with Strep A and told that he had a 1% chance of survival. Against all odds, Alex survived, at the cost of all four of his limbs and parts of his face.

Today, he is a passionate advocate for disability tech and an extreme sportsman, working with universities to develop new assistive technologies with each extraordinary challenge he undertakes. 

Support Resources:

Betknowmore UK (inc New Beginnings): betknowmoreuk.org

National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133

GamCare: gamcare.org.uk

On a night out with friends at a casino in Southend, Lisa was dealt a ‘royal flush’ and won £127,000. Over the next 15-20 years, Lisa developed a severe addiction to gambling, losing an estimated total of £500,000 and ultimately becoming homeless with her two children. Today, Lisa is gamble-free and has set up her own peer support service for women gamblers with Betknowmore UK.

Support Resources:

Frank drugs helpline: 0300 123 6600 -- talktofrank.com

Samaritans -- 116 123 -- samaritans.org.uk

Having served three years in prison as a teenager for GBH with intent, Jason Frost fell into drug dealing after robbing a drug lord's house and ending up with £30,000 of cocaine. But as the money escalated, so did the risks – leading to dangerous run-ins with rival gangs, numerous attempts on his life, and a personal battle with drug and steroid abuse, PTSD and schizophrenia. Now, he owns a multi-million-pound gym business and shares how he managed to turn his life around against all odds.

Support Resources:

Childline -- 0800 1111 --childline.org.uk

Samaritans -- 116 123 -- samaritans.org.uk

Sammy Woodhouse was 14 years old when she met and was groomed by Arshid Hussain. At 15, she became pregnant by him and was coerced into committing a number of crimes, for which she was unjustly convicted. Years later, after leaving her abuser and realising that she had been a victim of grooming, Sammy told her story to a journalist at The Times, kickstarting a national investigation into Britain's grooming crisis that is still ongoing. Now, she has waived her anonymity and campaigns for “Sammy’s Law”, which would pardon survivors of child sexual exploitation who have been criminalised for crimes committed under coercion.

In 2006, Bekhal's younger sister Banaz was murdered by her family in the name of so-called ‘honour’ after leaving an arranged marriage and beginning a relationship of her own choosing.

Bekhal later gave evidence in court against her father, uncle and other male relatives, becoming the first daughter in UK history to testify against her own father in an honour killing trial. In this interview, Bekhal tells her own story, from her experience of FGM as a young girl to surviving an attempted killing by her own brother, to her present campaign for Banaz's Law.This guest's voice has been altered using AI to protect their anonymity.

Bekhal’s campaign has been led by Southall Black Sisters, a charity that challenges all forms of violence against women and girls.
To access their website and follow the campaign, please refer to the link below.

Southall Black Sisters -- [email protected] -- southallblacksisters.org.uk

Bekhal's book -- No Safe Place: Murdered by Our Father by Bekhal Mahmod with Dr Hannana Siddiqui

Samaritans -- 116 123 -- samaritans.org.uk

Childline -- 0800 1111childline.org.uk

Support Resources:R eport Fraud -- 0300 123 2040 reportfraud.police.uk We Fight Fincrime -- wefightfincrime.com

Tony Sales is one of the only people in the world to have ever worked at both the highest level of organised fraud and at the forefront of fraud prevention. He became involved in crime at a young age following an unstable and traumatic childhood, and by his mid-teens was running increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes. Over six years, he stole an estimated £10-30 million from banks and businesses before being arrested whilst on the run. After his release, he moved into fraud prevention, and now uses his experience to advise governments, law enforcement and major organisations on how to combat financial crime.

https://www.youtube.com/@zaranicolemcdermott

In 2011, Jacob Dunne threw a single punch on a night out that turned fatal, landing him in prison and changing both his life and his victim's family's lives forever. After his release, he connected with his victim's parents through restorative justice and ultimately turned his life around with their encouragement. Find the full episode of Truth Be Told with Zara McDermott on Spotify and YouTube now. https://www.commongroundjustice.uk/

Support Resources:

Samaritans -- 116 123 -- samaritans.org.uk

Child Bereavement UK -- 0800 02 888 40 --childbereavementuk.org

Drinkline -- 0300 123 1110

Adfam -- adfam.org.uk

In 2022, Ellen's life was forever changed by the tragic death of her 14-year-old son, Jools. The cause of Jools' death is unknown, and Ellen has always believed there is more to it - but when she tried to access Jools' social media data to find out more, she found herself blocked by tech giants. This led her to her campaigning for 'Jools’ Law', which called for children's social media data to be automatically preserved after death. What started as a grassroots petition led by a bereaved mother has now turned into a national movement that is spurring changes in national policy and legislation.

Support Resources:

Samaritans -- 116 123 -- samaritans.org.uk

Frank Stedman was working as a drug dealer in Essex when he was caught by the Serious Organised Crime Agency in one the biggest undercover drug stings in British history.

After a stint on the run in Thailand, he was apprehended upon his return at Heathrow Airport and convicted for his involvement in a major drug deal involving 299 kilos of cocaine, worth an estimated £80 million in street value. After nearly a decade in prison, Frank has since turned things around; he now runs his own scaffolding business and shares his story publicly in a bid to avoid young people following in his footsteps.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify now.

In this brand-new series, Zara sits down with people whose lives have been shaped by extraordinary experiences. From surviving life-changing events and escaping dangerous situations to stories of crime, cults, and shocking split-second decisions, each guest shares their story with complete honesty. Raw, candid and deeply personal, these are the stories you won't forget.

This story may include sensitive themes. Please listen with care. The experiences and views shared belong to the individuals involved and reflect their own experiences and beliefs.

Follow on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@zaranicolemcdermott

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthbetoldstories

Produced by South Shore Productions